President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja met, for the first time, with the newly appointed Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, when Bichi was ushered into the president’s office by protocol officials, he was asked by the president if they had met before.

The new DG, however, `confessed’ that he was seeing President Buhari face-to-face for the first time in his life.

NAN reports that the meeting of the president and the DSS boss went into a closed-door session.

President Buhari on Sept. 13 appointed Bichi, as new Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS).

Bichi, who replaced Lawal Daura, the former DG of the DSS, is a core Secret Service operative, said Malam Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president on media.

He attended Danbatta Secondary School, the Kano State College of Advanced Studies and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated with a degree in Political Science.

The new Director-General began his career in the security division of the Cabinet Office in Kano, from where he joined the defunct Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO), the precursor of the present DSS.

Bichi had undergone training in intelligence processing analysis, agent handling recruitment and intelligence processing in the UK, as well as strategic training at the National Defence College.

The new DSS boss comes to the job with skills in intelligence gathering, research analysis, conflict management, general investigation, risk and vulnerability operations, counter intelligence and protective operation and human resources management.

In the course of his career, Bichi had worked as the State Director of Security in Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto and Abia States.

He was at various times the Director, National Assembly Liaison, (National War College), Director at National Headquarters in the Directorate of Security Enforcement, Directorate of Operations, Directorate of Intelligence, Directorate of Inspection and Directorate of Administration and Finance.

Bichi also served as Director at State Service Academy. (NAN)

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